In almost every culture which has developed aerospacecraft, there have arisen team of pilots whose role is to show off. Showing off comes naturally to the aerospace pilot's character, whatever racial or cultural background that pilot happens to come from, so this should come as little surprise. Today, all around the galaxy, there are groups of hotshots in fast ships who are ready, willing, and able to put on a show for the speed-craving public. Here, for the discerning traveler, are a few notes on some of the best and most readily available aeroshows around the galaxy.

United States Navy [Earth] Blue Angels

The oldest Earther demonstration team in existence, the Blue Angels date back to the Standard Year 1946, when they were a team of propeller-driven aeroplanes. In the years since First Contact, as the US Navy has branched out into spaceborne defense and become an integral part of the UN Space Force (later to evolve into Earthforce), the Angels have evolved with their service. Today, flying Lockheed F-100S Super Starfury fighters, the Blue Angels demonstrate their versatility by flying atmospheric and space shows before appreciative audiences in their home system and abroad. Recently, they completed a tour of the Klingon Empire.

United States Air Force Thunderbirds

The Air Force has a history somewhat unique as military units go. Once, they were a companion force to the US Navy. When the Navy went spaceborne, the Congress of the United States decreed that starships, being 'ships', fell solely under the purview of the Navy. This meant that, in order to travel in space and be an effective space force, the Air Force would have to be carried aboard Navy vessels. Since the Navy already had its own aviation wing, and the aviation component of the Marine Corps, this was seen as superfluous. The Air Force was relegated to intra-atmospheric defense duties - technically the job of the redefined Coast Guard.

Irked, the Air Force, in what may be the greatest single mass migration of heavily armed adult human beings ever seen, packed up their things and signed up with the Wedge Defense Force. The US Air Force organization was transposed lock, stock and starfighter into the Wedge Defense Force Tactical Arm, where it remains a semi-autonomous brigade-level unit to this day. Their traditional aerospace demonstration team, the Thunderbirds, is still extant; their red, white and blue VF/A-4C Alpha Legios fighters are a familiar sight in the skies of New Avalon and around the galaxy.

Imperial Salusian Guards Silver Knights

The Silver Knights hold the distinction of being the galaxy's oldest flight demonstration team. Formed in the Standard year 1492, they have performed for the delight of the Salusian Imperial Family and the people of Salusia for centuries. Today, they fly Salusia's most state of the art starfighter, the Dodonna/Blissex RZ-1 Stinger.

Zardon Home Guards Green Lancers

The Green Lancers, formed in 1494 as an answer to Salusia's Silver Knights, were the Knights' bitter rivals for centuries. People who remember the day say that they knew peace had really come to the Salusa system for good the day that the Silver Knights and the Green Lancers flew together over Saenar. The Lancers, ever attuned to the traditional, still fly the mighty Koensayr BTL-A4 Myrmidon in their demonstrations.

Wedge Defense Force Black Hawks

The WDF Black Hawks, formed in 2391, are the newest of the flight demonstration teams, but their heritage spans back to the dawn of the Wedge Defense Force. When the legendary Eight-Ball Squadron was reformed in 2388, its new commander, Lt. Col. (now General) Patricia "Terror" Currier, decided that her new squadron would not carry on the original Eight-Ball's role as a flight demonstration team for the WDF between combat tours.

Another of the original Eight-Balls, Major Mark "Haywire" Luchini, then petitioned the Tactical Arm high command for permission to form a replacement demonstration team, equipped with VF-2 Victory Veritech fighters. This permission was granted, and the WDF Black Hawks were born. Unlike the original Eight-Ball Squadron, the Black Hawks are a full-time demonstration team, unlikely to be called to arms, although in an emergency, they easily could be. Today they use the VF-11 Thunderbolt IV.

Wedge Defense Force Tactical Division VVF-625, WDF Concordia (Def Leppard Squadron)

Def Leppard Squadron is the oldest surviving WDF demonstration team. Contemporaries of the original Eight-Balls, the Leps spent more time as a "gang of show-offs" (to use the words of flight leader Col. Joe "Ambassador" Elliott) and rock band than they did as an operational combat squadron during the Golden Age. Their black, gold and red Raptors were famed for showing the galaxy just what a heavy fighter could do if its pilot were willing to push it.

Today they fly the Virtual Labs F-19C Viper, but the overall mission hasn't changed: play loud, play hard, and show 'em a damn good time. The Leps are probably the loudest show you're likely to find in this galaxy.

Incom Corporation Headhunters

Incom Corporation's in-house team of test pilots, the Headhunters, have been esponsible for flight testing every Incom product since the Z-95, from which they take their name. The six-element team of testers built what is now the standard corporate flight-testing team structure; at the time they did it, the late 1990s, it was revolutionary. In testing, one or two Headhunters will fly the prototypes being tested. Three others fly chase. The sixth serves as the ground controller. The positions are rotated so that, by the time a flight testing program is over, every Headhunter has flown, chased and coordinated the prototype many times. This scheme, and the high standards of talent and skill among the Headhunters themselves, have given Incom their legendary reputation for quality control.

In their spare time, the Headhunters also serve as a traveling demonstration team for the company. Flying decades-outdated, immaculately maintained Z-95s, they show off their awesome skill and the resilience and flexibility of Incom's most famous product.

GENOM Military Arm TIE Squadron 22 Iron Cross

The Iron Cross, GENOM's oldest surviving Military Arm unit, dates back to 1998. One of the most decorated combat units of the Military Arm, the Iron Cross served with distinction in the WDF Wars, the Kilrathi Wars, the Decepticon Conflict, the Cardassian Frontier Incursion of 2305, the War of Corporate Occupation, the Twilight Incident and many other conflicts. In 2389, upon returning from the Twilight Incident, the Iron Cross was changed from an active combat squadron to a training and demonstration team. They serve as GENOM's half of the GENOM MILARM/WDF Joint Fighter Testing and Training Program, and also fly demonstrations for GENOM Public Relations in their black and silver TIE Advanced Mark III fighters, showing off their precision control and blistering speed.

Imperial Navy of Kilrah Bloody Claw Squadron

The Other Side's most famous fighter squadron, the Bloody Claw Squadron was formed by Prince Thrakhath in 2385 when it was discovered that one of the most popular outlawed video recordings of underground Kilrathi society was a tape of the Imperial Salusian Guards Silver Knights in action. Thrakhath, determined to prove that Kilrathi pilots and craft were up to the task of entertaining and stirring the patriotism of the public just as much as the Salusians, gathered together the seven finest fighter pilots in the Imperial Navy of Kilrah and equipped them with the latest-model Dralthi then available (Series XIV).

Those Federation citizens who have seen the Bloody Claws perform agree: they're good, damn good. The Silver Knights tape is still outselling any other bootleg on the Kilrathi black market, but they're good.

Imperial Klingon Defense Forces qeylIS bat'leth (Sword of Kahless) Squadron

Equal parts praetorian guard and patriotic exercise, the qeylIS bat'leth Squadron is comprised of the five finest small-craft pilots in the Empire, carefully gathered from the Defense Forces, equipped with the very latest Imperial Weapons Laboratory Starthorn-class fightercraft, and stationed aboard the warship that bears their name, IKV qeylIS bat'leth - the Imperial flagship and personal transport of the Chancellor of the Klingon High Council. When not protecting that august personage with their lives and their honor, the three men and two women of the Sword of Kahless Squadron demonstrate their daring and prowess to the people of the Empire and beyond.

Gamilon Imperial Guard Scarlet Eagles

The Scarlet Eagles are somewhat surprising in that, though they serve under the flag of the Gamilon Imperial Guard, fly Gamilon-marked Lightning IV starfighters, and make their home base aboard the Crown Princess Amanda's personal transport, the Gamilon Crown Starship Lorica, the pilots themselves - indeed, the entire crew of the Lorica - are all Romulans! As the Romulans and the Gamilons are dread enemies and have been so for generations, this indicates that there must be a story in there somewhere - but when asked about it, the Crown Princess and her flagship's captain, Commander Jethan, both merely smile. However they came to serve the Gamilon Crown, though, the pilots of the Scarlet Eagles are talented and bold, showing a zest for life that seems quite at odd with their Romulan heritage as they show their colors proudly, when time permits, where the Princess's diplomatic itinerary takes them.

(I have the mental image of the Silver Knights, the Thunderbirds, the Black Hawks, the Green Lancers, the Headhunters, the 22nd, the Swords and the Scarlet Eagles all running one HELL of a show around B6, as Def Leppard plays something so incredibly hard-rocking that even the non-aerobatics fans have their adrenal (or equivalent hormone) levels raised 88% just watching....)

(Why not the Angels? I dunno if Earthforce would like to see them working with... well... you know... THEM.)

--
Geoff Depew - Mephron
Haberdasher to Androids, Malakite of Lightning and Angel of Tech Support Professionals
EPU RCW #1

Just out of curiousity, when was this particular permutation of the Undocuverse decided on? i.e., was it invented for this little document (enjoyable reading, at that), or was this something decided on beforehand?

Also, did something similar happen to the RAF? I'd hate to see them go...

-- Sean --
Rabid Crack Weasel #42
"All tribal myths are true, for a given value of 'true'." -- Terry Pratchett
The Broken Link
Follow my creative process

Drakensis has provided a case that the RAF Red Arrows would still be operating in some form of existance in 2406. But what about the RAAF Roulettes, would the United States of Oceania (of which Australia is apparently a member state), still have a version of them operating?

--Rod.H

Uh, Ben, wouldn't that be VVF-625?

(Hint: check High and Dry).

--rR